Speaker Biographies

Dr Andrew Edgar

Andrew Edgar is Reader in Philosophy at Cardiff University.  His areas of research include the philosophy of the Frankfurt School (with a number of publications on Habermas), but also the Philosophy of Sport.  He is the editor of the journal Sport, Ethics and Philosophy.

Bashir Kahn

Bashir Kahn has a Masters Degree in Ethics and Social Philosophy from Cardiff University, and is working for a PhD investigating the philosophical nature of community in the context of multiculturalism.  

Bob Clarke

Bob Clarke studied Physics at Bristol University in the late 1960s and since then he has pursued a career in science and engineering. He co-ordinated Workers Educational Association (WEA) philosophy courses in south-west London for over thirty years, which led him to take degrees in the History of Ideas at Kingston University and at Birkbeck College London.

Claire Hamilton

Claire Hamilton had an MA in the Bardic Tradition of Ireland and was a harpist, novelist and  Celtic scholar. She sadly passed away in 2017 aged 65.

Derek Stanesby

Derek Stanesby studied philosophy at Leeds University and went on to do a PhD in the philosophy of science at Manchester University. Following ordination he became a parish priest and then a canon of Windsor at the College of St George, where he was responsible for running a series or courses on science and religion, and later lectured on the philosophy of religion at the Royal Holloway College, University of London

Frank Lyons

Frank Lyons is an award-winning architect, the Director of Humane Architecture, an architectural practice based in Bristol. He has lectured at various universities including Krakow, Bath and Plymouth, and is currently writing a book which explores some key philosophical issues in relation to architecture.

Dr Fauzia Rahman

Fauzia Rahman-Greasley qualified in medicine and surgery in 1985 (from the medical school of St Bartholomew's, London). Her on-going interest in health and 'good life' inspired her to study person-centred counselling and philosophy. In 2010, she attained an MA in philosophy from Birkbeck, University of London. Subsequently, she has been exploring the relationship between health, justice, truth, and politics. She is a former chairman of The Philosophical Society, editor of the Philosophical Society Review, Samaritans volunteer, and non-executive director of Business Link MKOB (a government-funded business advice and guidance service). She has given talks to various philosophy groups and conferences. She is currently course director of the Gerrards Cross Philosophy group and is writing a book on Justice.

Herbert Girardet

Herbie Girardet is an author, international environment consultant, and documentary filmmaker. He is a member of the Club of Rome, and a recipient of a UN Global 500 awards for outstanding environmental achievements. He is a visiting professor at University of the West of England, and a former chairman of the Bristol-based Schumacher Society (see also Publications). He has lived in Tintern for over 40 years

Jim Cross

Jim Cross was a long-time member of the Tintern Philosophy Circle. Jim sadly passed away in 2022 aged 86

John Clarke

John Clarke John is Professor Emeritus in the History of Ideas at Kingston University where he developed an undergraduate degree course in the History of Ideas, prior to which he taught philosophy at McGill University (Canada) and Singapore University, and has published a number of books and articles mainly in the field of cultural and inter-cultural influences in philosophy- see Publications

John Clark

John (not to be confused with John Clarke!) has had a career in international development, particularly with the World Bank - where he headed its work on civil society - and Oxfam where he led its campaigning, policy and advocacy programmes. He had a one-year assignment in Kofi Annan's office, advising on UN relations with civil society and was Visiting Fellow on Global Civil Society at the London School of Economics. He is the author of a number of books including Democratising Development: The Role of Voluntary Organisations and is still active in a number of NGOs.

John Clive

Before concentrating on fine art in the mid-90's John won many national and international awards for his work as a television commercials director. He's regarded as a leading innovator in the digital applied arts, and played a pioneering role in imaging techniques such as morphing & photo realistic computer animation

Juliet Trewellard

Juliet  is a graduate of The Royal Central School of Drama and of the University of Sussex. She worked for several years in the theatre, and has taught at Brighton University, Sussex University Centre for Continuing Education, and was head of Drama and English at an independent school in Cornwall. She has written plays, poetry and books, and was founder member of a touring theatre company in Cornwall.

Rev Dr John Dearnley

John's main career was in social work, At various times he had links with the Tavistock Institute, worked in for the Race Relations Board and in Community Work, but mainly he was concerned with local authority social work, then a member of the Social Services Inspectorate. On retirement he moved into voluntary work with the Church in Wales, being at one time Social Responsibility Officer for the Diocese of Monmouth and later becoming Priest in Charge in Llandogo and Tintern

Judith Stares

Judith is a freelance journalist and editor of a national news agency. After a career which included time as a foreign correspondent in various world trouble-spots, she began to specialize in health and medicine, investigating illness and treatments in other cultures, including China, Russia and the USA. Philosophy has been a lifelong preoccupation, encouraged by extra-mural courses at Oxford and membership of several philosophical discussion groups. Exploring the power of the mind has informed much of her thoughts and writings.

Keith Ray

Keith is a Gloucester boy who has always been based in the West Country. He and his wife Lindsay have lived in Ross for 33 years and our 3 Childrens and their families live in South Glos. A 40 years career in Retail Banking with Lloyds Bank led to Senior Management, and upon retirement in 2001 He has followed various voluntary roles notably a 10-years spell with the Prince's Trust helping disadvantaged young people. Keith's first Tintern Philosophy Circle meeting was in July 2014.

Dr Ken Binmore

Ken is a mathematician turned economist and philosopher. He has held professorial chairs at LSE, the University of Michigan, and University College London. A range of applied work includes the design of major telecom auctions in many countries across the world, and he was described by Newsweek as the "ruthless, poker-playing economist who destroyed the telecom industry".  He has contributed to game theory, experimental economics, evolutionary biology and moral philosophy. He currently works in decision theory. His books include Natural Justice, Does Game Theory Work? A Very Short Introduction to Game Theory, and Rational Decisions. He is a Visiting Professor of Economics at the Universities of Bristol and Warwick, and a Visiting Professor of Philosophy at LSE.

Lorraine Cavanagh

Dr Cavanagh is a theologian and an Anglican priest. She is the author of By One Spirit: Reconciliation and Renewal in Anglican Life Peter Lang (2009), Making Sense of God's Love: Atonement and Redemption [Series: Making Sense of Christianity

Margaret Majumdar

Margaret is Research Professor of Francophone Studies at the University of Portsmouth. A former Secretary of the Association for the Study of Contemporary and Modern France, she has published extensively on French political philosophy, including the work of Louis Althusser and Jean-Paul Sartre, and the wider French-speaking world in the postcolonial context. Her books include Althusser and the End of  Leninism?;  Francophone Studies: The Essential Glossary; Transition and Development in Algeria: Economic, Social and Cultural Challenges; Post-coloniality: The French Dimension. She is currently working on a book on the notion of progress. She and her husband live in Tintern.

Mark Kirwin

Mark trained in Psychosynthesis, was later fascinated by Archetypal psychology, and has been a counsellor and psychotherapist in private practice for 32 years. He is a long-time member of the Philosophy Circle, and is well known for his thoughtful contributions to our meetings.

Maria Taylor

Maria has a BA in Religious Studies and Philosophy from the University of Wales, Newport, and an MA in Philosophy from Cardiff University. She is philosophy editor of HARTS and Mind, and is writing an introduction to philosophy course, and a booklet for adult education classes. She is a long-time member of the Tintern Philosophy Circle

Dr Matt J Dunn

Matt is an optometrist and lecturer in visual neuroscience at Cardiff University. His research in the discipline of psychophysics explores perceptual representation of physical stimuli in normal observers and patients with neurological disorders. He specialises in conditions affecting spatial and temporal representation of visual information

Peter Gandy

Peter has an MA in Classical Civilisation and is the author of several books on Early Christianity, Gnosticism and the Western Esoteric tradition.

Dr Peter Sedgwick                                      

Peter is Reader in Philosophy at Cardiff University. His publications include Descartes to Derrida: An Introduction to European Philosophy (2000), Nietzsche's Economy (2007), and Nietzsche's Justice (2013).

Rachel Stubley

Rachel Stubley has a BA in literature from Oxford and an MA in applied linguistics from London. She is a Senior Lecturer in post-compulsory education at the University of South Wales. Prior to this, she worked as an English language and literacy teacher in adult, community and further education institutions in inner London

Richard Ryder

Richard Ryder is a Cambridge philosopher and psychologist who has spent much of his life campaigning against speciesism. He has been Mellon Professor in the Philosophy Dept at Tulane University, and RSPCA Chairman. He is author or editor of ten books, his last being Speciesism, Painism and Happiness.

Prof Robin Attfield

Robin Attfield, now retired, was Professor of Philosophy at Cardiff University from 1991. His work currently focusses on ethics, philosophy of religion and environmental ethics, and his recent publications include a textbook on ethics, Environmental Ethics: An Overview for the Twenty-First Century, and a contribution to a series on global ethics, The Ethics of the Global Environment. His most recent published book relates environmental ethics to philosophy of religion, and is published as Wonder, Value and God. His latest book, Environmental Ethics: A Very Short Introduction, is due to be published by Oxford University Press in December 2018

Prof. Simon Cottle

Simon Cottle is Professor of Media and Communications at the School of Journalism, Media and Culture (JOMEC) at Cardiff University where he was formerly Deputy and then Head of School (2008 -2015). Previously he was Inaugural Chair and Director of the Media and Communications Program at the University of Melbourne. Simon is the author of 13 books on media, globalization and the communication of conflicts, crises and catastrophes.

Steve Eddy

Steve is an educational author and teacher, and teaches Philosophy as part of Monmouth School's Sixth Form Enrichment course. He has been a member of the Tintern Philosophy Group for about fifteen years now, and has given a number of talks in that time

Dr Steve Smith

Steve Smith is Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of South Wales. His main research interests are in the philosophy of disability, theories of social justice and equality, the philosophy of well-being, and more broadly in how abstract philosophical principles can be applied to public policy and practice.

Steve England

Steve is a long-standing member of the philosophy circle and has a special interest in aspects of twentieth century continental philosophy

Tim Cross

Tim Cross has a degree in philosophy and economics from Oxford University, and lectures in economics and business studies. He is a long-time member of the Tintern Philosophy Circle

Dr Vanessa Dodd

Vanessa was formerly Senior Lecturer in English Literature, Creative Writing and Applied Drama at the University of South Wales where she drew on long professional involvement with the theatre, and a parallel interest in psychology and the philosophy of mind. She trained in acting at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, London, and in theatre directing at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. She has a first class BA Hons. degree in English and History, an MA in play writing, and a recently awarded PhD on the link between modernist writing and human consciousness.



©Copyright 2023  Tintern Philosophy Circle  

Site Updated 15 January 2024

Tintern Philosophy Circle ~ Philosophy for All